It can be overwhelming knowing where to start understanding your family’s eligibility and entitlements under the National Disability Scheme.

You might be asking these questions for a range of reasons. It may be due to a recent medical diagnosis. Perhaps a life changing injury. There are many valid reasons you may need to seek out support to live successfully via the NDIS.

Around 4.3 million Australians have a disability Source: NDIS. People living with some form of a disability represent 15% of the global population Source: Wethe15.

Within the next five years, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will provide more than $22 billion in funding a year to an estimated 500,000 Australians who have permanent and significant disability.

For many people, it will be the first time they receive the disability support they need.

The NDIS aims to provide all families living with disability connection to services in their communities such as doctors, sporting clubs, support groups, libraries, and schools, as well as information about what support is provided by each state and territory government.

Am I eligible?

To find out if you or you loved one are eligible there is a great questionnaire that you can go through the NDIS

Questions include do you need help from a support person because of your disability? Do you use special equipment?

What should I have prepared?

Following the questions, you need to go through an Access Request and then provide information about your disability.

As part of the Access Request process, you will be asked:

• to confirm your identity and/or a person's authority to act on your behalf
• questions to see if you meet the NDIS access requirements (age, residence and disability)
• questions about providing consent to enter the NDIS and about seeking information from third parties.
• If you currently get disability supports, and you would like your provider to give us your information, you must first provide consent. Source: NDIS

You may be asked to provide some additional information after you make your Access Request. This may include information about your disability and how it impacts on your day-to-day life. You can provide copies of existing information, including letters or reports, or you can ask your treating health professional to fill out and sign a form.

Access requests can be made by NDIS participants, child representatives and nominees.

What happens once I am approved?

This is where you get to choose your service provider.

A service provider is a person, business or organisation who delivers funded services. Service providers have different areas of experience and expertise. Five Good Friends is an approved NDIS service provider.

It's important to work out what you want and find the right providers to meet your needs.

Providers are critical to the success of the NDIS. We need a strong and vibrant provider market that contributes to improving outcomes for participants. Source: NDIS

Five Good Friends – let us support you.

At Five Good Friends we want you to live well at home.

Five Good Friends helps people live engaged and successful lives in the homes and communities they love. Whether it is support accessing community activity, providing life skills training to meet your goals or simply assisting with domestic assistance to allow you to do what you love, we want to be there for you.

Call us today on 1300 1300 787 581 for a chat about how we can help you and your loved ones live engaged and inclusive lives.

Learn more: What can NDIS funds be used for?